AT&T described the new rules in a statement as "unwarranted,” and warned that they will discourage investment in new mobile broadband networks. In addition, large players like AT&T will have less incentive to spend on their own networks given that they will be forced to offer access to smaller rivals, the company said.

Verizon said that the FCC's move represented "a new level of unwarranted government intervention," and questioned the regulator's statutory authority to force operators to provide data roaming access.

The FCC said that roaming arrangements will have to be struck "on commercially reasonable terms and conditions," and that the new rules will spur investment in and deployment of new networks. Read the entire article here.